The Bandicoot is back!
Crash of the Titans, is, as you have probably guessed by the title, the latest outing by one of Sony’s failed mascots. Appearing back in the day when the Playstation was the main choice for the console gamer, Crash Bandicoot was a revelation when it first came out. It blended 2d & 3d platforming on an linear path but was bright and colourful & full of fun-coming on like a cross between Sonic & Taz it was embraced by the platform loving public.
This changes the dynamics of combat as fighting as the mutated creatures is much more fun than the simple punch and spin attacks we are used to in previous Crash games.
As the years and consoles have advanced, Crash has had many games featuring him and his adventures against the evil professor Cortex, the best being his foray into Mario Kart territory with the multiplayer genius that was Crash Team Racing. The problem being that the Crash franchise was starting to look very tired & dated, with the last one- Crash Twinsanity being the proverbial nail in Crash’s coffin.
To say I was not excited about reviewing Crash of the Titans was somewhat of an understatement-all the quality titles that were coming out, and I get the Crash Bandicoot one to review-Great!
So after the first few hours of gameplay, I had to admit that this had the making of a quality, fun platformer. This is a game that was never going to tax the graphical muscles of the 360, yet it looks great and the framerate never drops (unlike the ps2 version, so I have been told). There are loads to do in each of the 20 levels, and the gameplay keeps you engaged throughout.
So what sets this apart from other platformers I hear you cry, well this time round the bods at Radical Entertainment have been playing the likes of GTA for inspiration, & have decided that one of the coolest things about Rockstar’s masterpiece was the ability to hijack sweet looking motors. So in Crash of the Titans we get carjacking I hear you shout (slightly louder than before) Not quite, you see, the story behind this game is that evil Neo Cortex has transformed all the creatures on Crash’s beloved Island into weird mutations (with names like Scorporilla-who is a cross between scorpion & gorilla no less). Each of the 15 mutations have different abilities from sniping to making spikes appear around them. All Crash has to do is stun any of these foul abominations from nature & then hijack them. You jump on their shoulders & whack a voodoo mask on them, and then you can control them to do your bidding.This changes the dynamics of combat as fighting as the mutated creatures is much more fun than the simple punch and spin attacks we are used to in previous Crash games.
With this being the 360 version, you will be pleased to know that there are some easy picking when it comes to achievements. Add to this a solid co-op mode and you end up with an above average platformer. Crash may not be taking gaming by storm, but it is actually nice to have him back on form.
The Bad: Still linear gameplay, seasoned platformers will find this too easy.
Bronze Y Award